Language/Egyptian-arabic/Vocabulary/Basic-Greetings

Next Lesson — Introducing Yourself ▶️

Egyptian Arabic → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Greetings and Introductions → Basic Greetings

As a native Egyptian Arabic speaker and experienced language teacher, I know firsthand that introducing yourself and greeting others properly is essential to creating a good first impression and building a strong relationship. Therefore, in this lesson, you will learn the most common Egyptian Arabic greetings used to say hello, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and goodbye. These greetings are the fundamentals you need to know before going further in the language.

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: At Home & Greetings.

Basic Greetings

Egyptian Arabic has several ways to say hello and goodbye depending on the time of day, the formality of the situation, the religion, and the dialect. The most common greeting is "أهلا وسهلا" or "ahlan wa sahlan". This phrase is often said to welcome someone to your home or office. We also have "مرحبا" or "marhaba", which can be used in almost any situation with any person, regardless of their age or status.

Here are some more basic greetings for different times of the day:

Good Morning

To say "good morning" in Egyptian Arabic, we say "صباح الخير" or "sabah el-kheir". This greeting is used from sunrise until noon-ish, and it's also common to hear "صبحك الله بالخير" or "sabahak allah bel-kheir" as a response, meaning "may God give you a good morning too."

Note that the word "صباح" (sabah) means "morning" and "خير" (kheir) means "good" in this context.

Here's how you can use these greetings in a sentence:

Egyptian Arabic	Pronunciation	English
صباح الخير	sabah el-kheir	good morning
صبحك الله بالخير	sabahak allah bel-kheir	may God give you a good morning too

Good Afternoon

In Egypt, “good afternoon” greetings are something you would hear on special occasions or when speaking to someone who is religious. The Arabic phrase for "good afternoon" is "تحياتى" or "Tahiaty" which means congratulations, it's not really a greeting anyway.

Good Evening

The Arabic phrase for "good evening" is "مساء الخير" or "masa el-kheir". It’s an easy phrase to remember, as the word "مساء" (masa) means "evening" and "خير" (kheir) means "good" once again. This greeting is used from 4:00 pm until late at night.

Here's how you can use these greetings in a sentence:

Egyptian Arabic	Pronunciation	English
مساء الخير	masa el-kheir	good evening
تصبح على خير	tesbah ala kheir	good night

Good Night

To say "good night" in Egyptian Arabic, we usually say "تصبح على خير" or "tesbah ala kheir" before going to bed, but we also use "ليلة سعيدة" or "leila sa’eda", which literally means “happy night."

Here's how you can use these greetings in a sentence:

Egyptian Arabic	Pronunciation	English
تصبح على خير	tesbah ala kheir	good night
ليلة سعيدة	leila sa’eda	happy night

Goodbye

The equivalent of "goodbye" in Egyptian Arabic is "وداعا" or “wada'an”. However, this phrase is rarely used by native speakers as it sounds formal and old-fashioned. Instead, Egyptians frequently use "مع السلامة" or "ma’a el-salamah" which translates to “with safety,” or “be safe”.

You can also use the phrase "باي" (bai) or "bye" which is a slang word borrowed from English.

Here's how you can use these greetings in a sentence:

Egyptian Arabic	Pronunciation	English
وداعا	wada'an	goodbye
مع السلامة	ma'a el-salamah	with safety
باي	bai	bye

As you continue to learn Egyptian Arabic, keep in mind that these phrases are just the tip of the iceberg. Each Arabic country has its unique expressions, so you should be open to different ways of saying the same thing in other places as it is always great to show off more variety in your language.

With these basic greetings and a smile on your face, you'll be able to impress your Egyptian friends and make them feel more comfortable around you. Stay tuned for the next lesson where we'll be covering how to introduce yourself in Egyptian Arabic!

Table of Contents - Egyptian Arabic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Verb To Be

• Personal Pronouns
• Verb To Be

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Yes/No Questions
• Wh-Questions
• Negation

  ---

Everyday Vocabulary

• Common Adjectives
• Common Nouns
• Common Verbs

  ---

Present Tense

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs

  ---

Egyptian Culture

• Egyptian Food
• Egyptian Traditions
• Egyptian History

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Locations

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Common Conjunctions

  ---

Shopping and Services

• Shopping Vocabulary
• Services Vocabulary

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Adverbs

  ---

Egyptian Music and Cinema

• Famous Egyptian Singers
• Egyptian Cinema

Other Lessons

• Medical Emergencies
• Hotel
• Time
• Getting Around
• Drinks
• Numbers 1 10
• Food
• Popular Expressions
• Months of the Year
• Directions and Locations

Next Lesson — Introducing Yourself ▶️